Modern optical devices and optical communications systems widely use fiber optic connectors and cables. A typical fiber optic cable includes one or more optical fibers contained within a protective jacket.
A typical optical fiber includes a glass or plastic core surrounded by a cladding layer having a lower refractive index as compared to the refractive index of the core. The cladding causes a light signal to be confined to the core by total internal reflection at the boundary between the two components. The optical fiber of a typical fiber optic connector is retained within a ferrule assembly supported by a ferrule sleeve at a distal end of a connector housing. A spring may be used to bias the ferrule assembly in a distal direction relative to the connector housing. The ferrule assembly typically supports an end portion of at least one optical fiber but, in the case of a multi-fiber ferrule, supports the ends of multiple optical fibers.
The ferrule has a distal end face at which a polished end of the optical fiber is located. When two optical fibers are interconnected, the distal end faces of the ferrules abut one another and the ferrules are forced proximally relative to their respective connector housings against the bias of their respective springs. With the fiber optic connectors connected, their respective optical fibers are coaxially aligned such that the end faces of the optical fibers directly oppose one another. In this way, an optical signal may be transmitted from optical fiber to optical fiber through the aligned end faces of the optical fibers.
Fiber optic communication systems employ a network of fiber optic connectors and cables to transmit large volumes of data and voice signals over relatively long distances. Fiber optic connectors allow optical fibers to be quickly connected and disconnected without requiring the splicing together of separate optical fibers. Fiber optic connectors can be used to optically interconnect two lengths of optical fiber as well as interconnecting lengths of optical fiber to passive and active equipment.
The capabilities of optical fiber, optical cable and fiber optic hardware including fiber optic connectors continuously improve through research and innovation to meet the demands of increasing numbers of users, such as increasing the bandwidth and the speed of signal transmission and the high density of connectivity. Each piece of equipment within the data center is interconnected to other equipment or to different components within the same cabinet using jumper, or patch, cables. Jumper cable assemblies typically comprise single fiber connectors and cables, i.e., simplex cable assemblies, usually arranged into sets of two, one receive and one transmit, i.e., duplex cable assemblies.
One method of duplexing simplex cable assemblies is to use a clip to couple two fiber optic connectors together. Another method of duplexing simplex cable assemblies is use of a single “unibody,” or “uniboot,” housing having just one cable input (containing two separate optical fibers) at one housing end and two separate fiber optic connector front connector housing elements at the opposing housing end. Increasing connectivity density in data centers, as well as the ability to efficiently manage connectivity challenges may be addressed by providing flexibility in signal transmit and receive configuration, to mitigate the ever increasing challenges of the modern data center.